Scotland centre Matt Scott will taste action again for the first time in six months in Sunday’s Guinness PRO 12 meeting of Edinburgh and Cardiff at BT Murrayfield.
24 hours after the national team complete their Autumn series against Tonga, the centre starts his comeback from shoulder surgery on the bench for the capital club, with a view to getting back for the Six Nations
“The rehab’s gone well, and it’s taken a great deal of work from the physio team,” he said. “I’ve found it difficult to watch from the sidelines, especially when they’ve been playing well in recent weeks.”
Edinburgh’s chronic injury list shows some signs of clearing at last with seven players as well as Scott making their return to action on Sunday.
Tom Brown returns after a lengthy layoff while club captain Mike Coman and lock Ollie Atkins are also available. Two of the players hurt in the injuyry-ridden European Challenge Cup match against Lyon also are back, Sam Beard having cleared concussion protocols and Roddy Grant having made a swift recovery from a broken cheekbone.
Scotland cap Fraser McKenzie and young hooker Neil Cochrane are also back, meaning that Alan Solomons has made seven changes from the team that lost at Leinster last month.
The injury list remains lengthy, however, with 12 players still out long-term.
Edinburgh (vs Cardiff, Guinness PRO12, BT Murrayfield Sunday, ko 4pm, live on BBC ALBA)
Nick McLennan; Dougie Fife, Sam Beard, Andries Strauss, Tom Brown; Tom Heathcote, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne; Rory Sutherland, James Hilterbrand, Willem Nel; Ollie Atkins, Ben Toolis; Mike Coman (capt), Roddy Grant, David Denton.
Replacements: Neil Cochrane, Grant Shiells, John Andress, Fraser Mckenzie, Tomas Leonardi, Grayson Hart, Greig Tonks, Matt Scott.